Dispensing device.



M. ECKSTEIN.

DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man APR.25. |918.

1,291,804. Patented Jan. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESS.

M. ECKSTEIN.

DISPENSING DEVICE. APPLlcAr'loN FILED APR. 25. 1918.

1,291,804. Patented 1311.211919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R u 51 e:

man E v ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES' `PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS ECKSTEIN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOR TO HERMAN KAUFMAN AND FRANK KESSLER, BOTH 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. p

DISPENSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application led April 25, 1918. Serial No. 230,639.

To all whom it may concern Be itlmownthat I, MORRIS Eoks'rrun, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dispensing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in a device or apparatus to be used for dispensing measured or predetermined quantities of granulated, powdered or nely pulverized material from a closed receptacle or container, and while the invention is particularly intended for use in cafeteras or selfhelp restaurants or dining places for dispensing or discharging sugar therefrom into tea and coffee cups, or on articles of food, yet it is applicable for use inother places, and may be employed for dispensing other kinds of material, and for this reason, I wish it distinctly understood that I do not wish to be limited in its application or in the kind of material to be dispensed. A

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device or apparatus of the above mentioned general character, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, attractive in appearance, strong, durable and efficient in operation, which can be suitably supported on a table or stand at a desired height therefrom to permit of vessels being placed under the dispenser to receive sugar or material from the same. Another important object is to so construct the device that a highly sanitary dispenser will be provided, that is to say, one in which the material cannot be contaminated or deleteriously affected by placing wet or used spoons therein, as often occurs in sugar bowls of the ordinary kind used in public dining places. A further object is to provide a dispenser of such construction as to prevent waste of sugar or material and which can be operated from opposite points, if desired.

Various other objects and advantages will be disclosed in the subjoined description and explanation.

The invention consists in certain pecul- K iarities of the construction, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and speciiically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which serve to illustrate an embodiment of the invention Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a dispensing device embodying the invention showing it mounted on an upright supporting frame.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view of a portion of the container for the material to be dispensed or discharged and its discharging funnel or hopper, the said view being taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a plan view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indi` cated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view of the measuring and dispensing members of the device showing them in position for their assemblage together, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the means of mounting the stop and guide for the projections of the rotary dispensing members.

Corresponding numerals of reference refer to like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

The reference numeral 10 designates the upwardly extended legs of a supporting fra-me 11, the lower ends of which legs are adapted to rest on a table or stand, and if desired, may be secured thereto in any suitable way. Mounted on the upper portion of the legs 10 or frame 11 so as to extend downwardly between said legs is a funnel shaped discharging hopper 12 which terminates at its lower end in an annular spout 13 of any suitable size. Located vertically above the upper end of the hopper 12 is a container or receptacle 14 for the sugar or other material to be dispensed, which container may be made of any suitable size, form and material, but by preference, cylindrical in shape and of metal. The upper end of the container 14 may be closed by means of a suitable cap or cover 15 detachably mounted thereon so as to permit material to be supplied to the container. Horizontally located in the lower end of the container 14 and fixed thereto by means of screws 16, or otherwise, is a measuring or pocketed member 17 which is provided with a number of openings 18 each being of a size to hold the desired amount or quantity of material when the upper and-lower ends of each of said openings are closed, to be dispensed. As

of the member 17 and near the periphery of said member and may be of any desired` number. As shown in Fig, 2 of the drawings theopenings 18 extend' entirely throughv the member 1 7 and are adapted tocommu-- nicate at their upper ends with the container 14 and at theirflower ends with the funnel'-r or hopper 12 under certainconditions inthe operation of the parts of the device.- The lower portion ofthecontainer 14 andthe upper part or end of thev fun-nel orhopper 12` are united on theirouter surfacesby one or more internally channeled members 19,

which members act as guide-waysorthe projections or handles on oneof the rotary membersY of the dispenser, as well :as` for stops to check the rotary movement of said member. In `Figs. 3 and 4f of the drawings, the receptacle 14C is shown as being equipped with two of the members 19 which .arevlocatedf diametrically opposite each*l other.

Each of these members has-,on onefoiiits ends any outwardly l extended projection 2O against whichk the iingerv of the.V operator will contact ingthe operation of thedevice', as

will be presently explaineclc.'l As 'shown' inA Figs. 1,. 3, a and 6 of the drawingsthe upper horizontal. wall of' each of the members19l is. connected to the outer surface of the containerA` la atL a suitable distanceiirom the lower end of said container, and. thelower wall of eachfof said members is connectedfto the hopper 12 at itsupper portion.. By this arrangement it is evident'thataslight horie zontally Ydisposed space will be provided.- betweenthe lower end ot-the container and. thel upper end ofthe hopper or fun-nel 12 .in

which is* located a `horizontal-ly rotatable controlling member or disk 21 .which isprofv vided near its periphery witlia1singleopen= ing; 22 Vwhich is by preference slightlylarger than the openings 18 iny the pocketed vmem-- ber 17,V with whichA op enings` the `opening-22 is adapted toY register successively.v The disk. or controlling. member 21. 1s provided at its periphery with an upwardly.extendedv annular langef23 which surrounds the. lower portionv ofy `thelv container 14 and is provided on` its outer surface with a plurality of spaced. apart projections` 24;, vusually aboutsin` in number- These projections or han-V dles are Vadapted. to. passthrough. the cha-n:- neled` .memberv or..members 19.V infthe operation of thedevice and are so locatedon the flange 23.01" the controlling. member 21,v that by'placing. the thumb on the outer surface of one-of the` projections20 of the' members 19,. the oreznger.. ofA the hand. when. extendedw-ill` reach toxand engage the proj ection 24.

adjacent, tosaid projection; when by .pressing; said Ilinger 1 toward...y the4 thumb... againstf thehandleior, proj ectionathe :dskor me:rn-.-l

just been brought into register will be discharged into the hopper orfunnel 12 and' from thence through the spout 13 thereof into the cup or receptaclev which maybe placed under the container. Mounted ontopl of thepocketed member 17 `is a shut-o platel 25 which is substantially semi-circularon segmental in shape and has an angular opening 26-in which a correspondinglyshaped head 27 ona slottedy screw bolt 28 ifi-ts when y the parts are yintheirassembleid positions.v The screw bolt 28 is extended through a suitable opening in the center of the pocketed member 17 and through a suitable opening-in the cont-rolling, member or" disk 21,v whichl latter opening isf provided-with a diametrically disposed rib 29.-to 1it `in thev slot of said bolt. The plate 25 is. ot such size astocover at least three `of the-openingsy in the pocketedv member asshown. On' thelower part of the bolt 28l isscrewedaftube. 30 whichprojects downwardly throughk .the nozzle or spout 13 ot the funnel or hopper 12 andprovides means for regulating the tension ota springl which is coiled around the bolt 28 and rests at one of its ends again'stzthelower surface .of the controlling disk or member 21 and at its lower end against theu upper end. of said tube. It isquite important thatthe shut-oit plate or member 25 and the controlling disk or member 21 should fit. closely against the upper and lower surfaces, respectively, of the pocketed member 17 yet so as to befturned onsaid memberand by the foregoing, arrangement of the bolt 28, y tube'BO and spring 31 associated with said members as above set forth vit is apparent that the tension of the spring 31 can be regu lated by turning the tube 30 in theproper direction on. the bolt 28v so as to create the desired pressure of the plates 25 and 21 against the pocke'-,ted member. in. order lto prevent. accumulation of sugar or. material be tween saidplates or members and the pocketed member. As theztuberBOA is4 extended centrally. ,throughv the :nozzle 13- of the;v hopper or funnel 12 it ismanifest that: the sugar..

said members 19 only may be employedl and...

that, whensuchis Athe caseit, caribe .extended as far around the container as may be desired so as to provide only one space for the exposure of the handles on the rotary or controlling member. From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be clearly understood and readily seen, that by supplying the container 14 with a quantity of sugar or other material, and assuming that the parts are in the positions shown in Figs.

2 and 3 ofthe drawings and all of the pockets or openings 18 have been filled, itis evident that by placing the thumb on the outer surface of one ci' the projections 20 and the forefinger over one of the projections 24, the controlling member or disk 21 may be turned so that the opening 22 therein will register with one of the pockets 18 from which the sugar or material will be discharged into the hopper or funnel 12 and from thence through ,the spout 13 into the cup or vessel. As the shut-off plate 25 is fixed to the head 27 of the bolt 28, and as the disk 21 is also fixed to said bolt it is obvious that they will be turned in unison and that the opening 22 in the controlling disk 21 will be caused to register successively with the openings or pockets 18 of the pocketed member.

Having thus fully' described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to-secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a dispensing device, the combination with a suitably supported container, of a member fixed to the lower portion thereof and having a plurality of openings extended vertically therethrough, a discharging fuunel located below said member, a plate rotatably located on the upper surface of the said member and adapted to close the openings therein, a controlling disk having an opening therein and mounted Jfor rotation below said member, means uniting the disk and plate to cause them to move in unison when the latter is turned, a plurality of' handles extended from the disk, and a channeled member mounted horizontally at the periphery of the disk for the passage therethrough of said projections and to act as a stop for the finger of the operator.

2. In a dispensing device, the combination with a. suitable supported container, of a member fixed to the lower portion thereof and closing the same, a discharging funnel located below said member, said member having a plurality of openings extended vertically therethrough and communicating with the container and funnel, a plate located on the upper surface of the said niember and adapted to close a plurality of the openings therein, a controlling disk having an opening therein and mounted below said member, means uniting the disk and plate for rotary movement in unison on the said member, a plurality of handles extended radially from the disk in spaced relation to one another, and a channeled member mounted horizontally at the periphery of the disk for the passage therethrough of said projections and to act as a stop for the finger of the operator.

3. In a dispensing device, the combination with a suitably supported container, of a discharging funnel located below the same, a member fixed to the lower portion of the container and closing the same, said member having a plurality of openings communicating with the container and funnel, a plate located on the upper surface of the said member and adapted to close at least three of the openings therein, a controlling disk having an opening therein and mounted below said member, means uniting the disk and plate for rotary movement in unison on said member, a plurality of handles extended radially from the disk and in spaced relation to one another, and a pair of channeled members mounted horizontally at opposite points at the periphery of. the disk for the passage therethrough of said projections and to act as stops Jfor the fingers of the operators.

1. In a dispensing device, the combination with a suitably supported container, ot a discharging funnel located below the same, a member fixed to the lower portion of the container and closing the same, said member having a plurality of openings communicating with the container and the funnel, a plate located on the upper surface of the said member and adapted to close at least three of the openings therein, a controlling disk having an openinfy therein and mounted below said member, a screw bolt rotatably mounted in the said member and uniting said plate and disk together to move in unison, a spring surrounding said bolt below the disk and in contact therewith at one of its ends, a tube screwed onto the lower portion of said bolt in contact with the lower end of said spring and extended through the discharged orifice of the funnel, a plurality of handles extended radially from said disk and in spaced relation to one another, and a channeled member mounted horizontally at the periphery of the disk for passage therethrough of said handles or projections and to act as a stop for the finger of the operator.

MORRIS ECKSTEIN. Witnesses Clins. C. TILLMAN,

C. CASEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

